Page 76 of Ruthless Guardian

“Raf!”

I spin around to find a pair of blazing sapphire irises. From the irritation puckering her brow, my guess is that was not the first time she called my name.

“What?” I bark right back because I already feel shitty enough for both of us.

“I waited for the entire hour-long car ride. I was way beyond patient, and now, it’s time to tell me the truth.”

Serena moves into step beside her cousin, nodding aggressively, with a glass of wine already in hand. “Yes, what she said.” A smirk tugs at the corner of her lip, and her eyes begin to sparkle. “Also, are either of your brothers single, because damn…”

“Trust me,” I snarl cutting her off, “you want nothing to do with either of them.”

“Please start explaining.” Isabella glares up at me, arms pressed against her chest as if she’s trying to contain the anger. I recognize the motion well.

I have no intention of spilling my dark past to my current client, let alone her cousin. “I haven’t spoken to my family ina decade,” I huff out. “And that’s exactly why I was so hesitant to return to Rome. My father and I had a big falling out, and he essentially disowned me. My brothers took his side. Shit happens. End of story.”

“And that’s it?”

“Yes.”

“That standoff outside the club seemed like something much bigger than a little falling out.” Serena takes a sip from the glass, swishing the red wine around her mouth.

Isabella inches closer, her eyes searching mine for an answer she will not receive. I would never—could never tell her what happened. The wounds are too raw, scars much too deep to ever see the light. Especially not now with the barrage of feelings my new client is eliciting. She finally diverts her gaze to Serena. “Will you give us a second, Sere?”

“Really?” Her eyes are wide as she stares at her cousin as if she’s never been dismissed from a conversation in her life. Did they really tell each othereverything?

“Yeah, I need to talk to Raf alone.”

“Okay…” She spins on her heel and saunters toward the kitchen, topping off her wine glass before sinking down onto the couch in the living room.

Isabella’s hand threads through mine, her long slender fingers fitting so perfectly between mine, that the gentle touch is actually painful. Because it’ll have to be the last. I have no restraint around this woman. My entire life of control and carefully constructed policies and procedures go to hell around her. And that’s not fair to her.

Lust is one thing. That I can control, but this has gone so far beyond lust…

She tugs me up the stairs, her footfalls quickening with each step closer to our bedrooms. Which one would she choose? The thought is so pointless, but still, it crosses my mind. If she selectsher room, she’s searching for comfort, a familiar surrounding, if she chooses mine, she’s seeking to comfort me. The subtle difference is something most wouldn’t account for.

Isabella turns at my room, and my heart quickens its pace. As pissed off as she is, she’s more concerned about my state of mind than the fact that I lied to her all these months. Interesting and unexpected.

She backs me into the room, then pushes me down on the mattress. “It’s just you and me now, Raf, and you owe me this. Tell me the whole story.”

I blow out a breath, attempting to buy some time to come up with a decent version of the truth. All lies must be centered around a truth in order to be plausible. “I already told you,” I mutter. “I did something unforgivable in my father’s eyes and so he banished me from the family, from the whole damned city.”

“And what was that?” That inquisitive gaze roams over me.

“I betrayed his trust.”

“By doing what?”

“Siding with someone he considered an enemy.”

Her dark brows furrow as she regards me. “Raf, I’m not an idiot. I know powerful men when I see them. What kind of business is your family in?”

I figured it wouldn’t take her long to connect the dots once she saw Antonio and Giuseppe and their troop of guards. “Nightclubs and restaurants.” I give her my most charming smile.

“Money laundering?” she retorts.

“Among other things.”Dio. Why not offer more incriminating information, youstronzo?

She hisses a curse then drags her hand through her silky hair. “That was definitely not on your perfectly pristine resume, Mr. Ferrara. How could you not tell me?”

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